Buckingham Palace is best known as the residence of the British monarchs located in the City of Westminster. Today, the palace is the administrative headquarters of the monarchs. It was originally built for the Duke of Buckingham in the early 18th century and has been in private ownership for at least 150 years. However, in the 19th century the palace was expanded by two British architects, John Nash and Edward Blore. Only a few additions to the palace were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, notably the east facade, which contains the balcony on which the royal family traditionally greets the crowds. Buckingham Palace was primarily built in a neoclassical architectural style, which was primarily inspired by the architecture of ancient Greece and ancient Rome. The exterior was made of Bath stone in a French neoclassical style. The east facade of the palace was rebuilt in Portland stone in 1913. The palace has a total of 775 rooms. Many of the original 19th-century interiors have survived and are still visible, including the widespread colorful scagliola and blue and pink lapis. The smaller reception rooms have been furnished in a Chinese style. Interesting Facts: • Buckingham Palace has the largest private garden in London. • The palace has its own chapel, swimming pool, post office, doctor's office and cinema. Buckingham Palace2.6 The Houses of ParliamentThe Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament, stands on the bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster, London. The Palace of Westminster, as it is today, replaces a complex of medieval buildings which was completely demolished by fire in 1834. It was built primarily as the residence of the kings of England until the fire destroys it... middle of paper......www.youtube.com/watch?v=-era-GgAB0gWelcome to St Paul's Cathedral, London (2014) Explore the cathedral. [Online] Available at: http://www.stpauls.co.uk/Cathedral-History/Explore-the-Cathedral [Accessed: 25 January 2014] Buckingham Palace – The British Monarchy (2009) History. [Online] Available at: http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalResidences/BuckinghamPalace/History.aspx [Accessed: February 2, 2014] Palace of Westminster (2013) Architecture of the palace. [Online] Available at: http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/palace/architecture/ [Accessed: February 24, 2014] Ronca, D. (2012) How the London Eye works. How things work. [Online] Available at: http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/london-eye.htm [Accessed March 9, 2014] The tallest tower: building the fragment. Watch the video online. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxUyxrQvybw